U.S. Representatives Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Brendan Boyle (D-PA-02), and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) reintroduced the Ending Passenger Rail Forced Arbitration Act, legislation providing Amtrak passengers a pathway to seek justice after incidents of negligence or misconduct.
Introduce and support legislation to restore legal protections for Amtrak passengers by ending forced arbitration after negligence or misconduct incidents.
Occurrences
Evidence
The senator’s press releases index shows a May 20, 2026 entry titled 'Blumenthal, Deluzio, & Boyle Introduce Bill Restoring Legal Protections for Amtrak Passengers,' indicating Blumenthal took a concrete legislative step to restore Amtrak passenger legal protections during the current term.
Congress.gov lists S.5238 as sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal and introduced on September 25, 2024, with latest action referral to Senate Commerce.
The bill text says it would amend title 49 to prohibit Amtrak from including mandatory arbitration clauses in contracts of carriage, and makes predispute arbitration agreements and joint-action waivers invalid for Amtrak consumer or civil-rights disputes.
Blumenthal's Senate office announced he introduced the Ending Passenger Rail Forced Arbitration Act to restore legal rights for Amtrak riders; it described covered claims as gross negligence, wrongful death, and discrimination.
Blumenthal's Senate office announced that he and Reps. Chris Deluzio and Brendan Boyle introduced legislation providing Amtrak passengers a path to seek justice after negligence or misconduct incidents.
The Congressional Record history identifies S.5238 as a bill to prohibit Amtrak mandatory arbitration clauses and records it as introduced by Mr. Blumenthal with Senate cosponsors.
Assessments
The promise was to introduce and support legislation, not to enact it. Blumenthal directly delivered that commitment in his current Senate term by sponsoring and introducing the Ending Passenger Rail Forced Arbitration Act in September 2024, with bill text that would bar Amtrak forced-arbitration clauses and restore passengers' ability to pursue claims in court. He also publicly backed and reintroduced the measure in 2026, reinforcing continued support. Because the promised legislative action itself occurred during the same term, this counts as delivered with same_term timing.
Blumenthal materially fulfilled the specific federal campaign promise because the promised action was to introduce and support legislation, not necessarily to secure enactment. In the current Senate term, he introduced or reintroduced the Ending Passenger Rail Forced Arbitration Act with House partners to restore Amtrak passengers' ability to pursue legal claims after negligence or misconduct incidents. The broader policy outcome does not appear enacted, but the stated commitment to introduce and support the legislation was completed by the candidate during the same term.